updated 05:40 pm EDT, Mon August 28, 2006

Apple iMac Versus Sony LS1

Upon the announcement of Sony's new LS1 PC and TV hybrid, many drew immediate comparisons between its 'floating' design and the 20-inch iMac that preceded it earlier in the year, suggesting that Sony took direct inspiration from Apple's earlier computer. Regardless of the exact inspiration, the two computers are in fact very different, reports CNET. After reviewing the two systems, the news organization notes that the iMac and LS1 are targeted at different users and have distinct advantages over each other. The iMac has superior graphics and is considerably less expensive, but misses the integrated NTSC tuner and recording functionality of the LS1 that let it serve as a true media center. Click through for important considerations beyond the CNET article.

The Electronista perspective: While it is true that the Sony PC offers PVR functions that the iMac does not include in the package, the LS1 is potentially limited by the integration of a television tuner. HDTV is rapidly gaining acceptance and may quickly supplant conventional cable or satellite programming; the $400 extra spent on the LS1 will leave the user with technology they may abandon before the computer itself is obsolete. An iMac owner still has the option of a third-party tuner such as the EyeTV Hybrid, which adds over-the-air HDTV support and can easily be replaced in the future.